Sea to Sky MP reacts to Liberal loss of Toronto heartland seat – Pique Newsmagazine

Loss of Toronto-St. Pauls should trigger reflection by Trudeau, MP Patrick Weiler says

A British Columbian Liberal MP is reacting to the loss of a party seat on the other side of Canada by saying it was a message that is "hard to ignore"for the prime minister.

I think that this is the kind of result that warrants serious reflection on by the prime minister, it's that plain and simple, said West Vancouver-Sunshine Coast-Sea to Sky Country MP, Patrick Weiler, of the byelection result which saw the inner-city Toronto-St. Pauls riding fall from Liberal hands for the first time since 1993.

I dont think theres a way of sugarcoating that result, said Weiler.

Toronto is an area that has long been a Liberal stronghold for good reason, and I dont think theres any way of taking that result and not taking that as a clear message.

In Vancouver on Tuesday morning, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau reacted to the news the previously safe seat of Toronto-St. Pauls had fallen to the Conservative Party, whose candidate Don Stewart secured a 590-vote lead over Liberal Leslie Church in the preliminary count overnight, by saying it was not the result we wanted,but made no mention of his job security in comments at an event with no reporter questions.

Herepeated previous Liberal Party talking points, saying he heard peoples concerns and frustrations.

These are not easy times, and it's clear that I, and my entire Liberal team have much more work to do to deliver tangible, real progress that Canadians across the country can see and feel. Well never stop working and fighting to make sure that people have what they need to get through these tough times, he said.

Asked about Trudeaus next moves, given Toronto-St. Pauls has traditionally been at the heart of Liberal territory for the party, Weiler said there is an appetite for change among votersbut the exact type is tricky to define.

I would say it's hard to ignore that people are looking for change, he said, but didnt go much further, instead talking about what he characterized as change offered by the Conservative Party.

Its not as if Im having people walking to me to tell me theyre looking for the change that the Conservatives are offering, like sidelining the Charter of Rights and Freedoms to pass unconstitutional criminal laws, or to reopen the abortion debate, or to attack minority rights. Im certainly not hearing from people that they want to abandon all action on fighting climate change or to cancel the carbon tax that doesnt even apply in B.C., and Im certainly not hearing from people that they want to raise taxes on home-buildingall things that the Conservative Party has put forward.

But, I am hearing from people that theyre looking for change, and if were not offering it, theyre going to look for it elsewhere.

On the potential of a new leader for the party, Weiler reiteratedthe result should trigger "reflection"on the part ofTrudeau.

I think this is the kind of result that warrants serious reflection by the prime minister, because [Toronto-St. Pauls] is a riding that we have no business losing, particularly given the effort thats been put into it, and particularly with a very compelling candidate," he said.

Pressed on what the unexpected result means for him,as the MP of a bellwether riding that has been held by the government of the day since 2008, Weiler said he will double down on trying to connect with constituents, and is advocating for issues they holdimportant.

[Toronto-St. Pauls] is a riding that should be a Liberal riding, and that's something we need to take account of right across the country," he said.

With an election due to be held in October next year at the latest, and the Liberal governmentdown in the polls since early 2022, and significantly behind the Conservatives since mid-2023, Weiler said the government hasa lot to do to get the work done, and the messaging across.

This isnt just a communications exercise, Im making sure were delivering and people are feeling that at the local level," he said. "So thats what Im taking from it, and I hope thats what folks across the country are taking from it as well.

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Sea to Sky MP reacts to Liberal loss of Toronto heartland seat - Pique Newsmagazine